I’m quite renowned in my family for making superb cheesecakes. However, with great power comes great responsibility! I’m no longer allowed to turn up to a family do without one, otherwise I’m sent packing. The last time I went to visit was no exception, due to prior arrangements we were making a flying visit for my uncles (rainy) garden party. Despite him living billions of miles away, deep in the valleys of Wales, I was still expected to turn up with one.

I decided to make this mouth-watering Eton Mess Cheesecake (two puds in one, I’m so very sneaky!!) As we were only stopping for one night, I had to make it the evening before we embarked on our journey to Carmarthen, to ensure it was set in time.

Due to some miracle, it made it there in one piece and was still edible. It was even branded as, “the best cheesecake” a self-confessed cheesecake connoisseur had ever tried. Another one of my uncles friends, an over the top French man, said and I quote, “Ooh la la, I never want this moment to end.. There should be a museum built for it”. Yes he really said “Ooh la la”.

If you go to bed at night, often dreaming of smooth chocolate cheesecakes with a hint of raspberry and gooey, creamy meringues then this simple cheesecake recipe is perfect for you and the guests you’re trying to impress.

The blue lady bird freezer bag contains the cheesecake!

I don’t advise you to inflict this sort of stress on yourself but if you are planning on taking your Eton Mess Cheesecake on a three hour journey you will need an 8 inch loose bottom tin, one plastic cake box, a large freezer bag and a shed load of frozen ice packs. Oh and.. a thick coat, woolly hat and a scarf because you will also need the air-con on freezing.

Ingredients

For base:

200g of digestive biscuits

90g unsalted butter, melted

For filling:

300g white chocolate, melted

300ml double cream, chilled

400g soft/cream cheese

50g icing sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

1/2 punnet of raspberries

For decoration:

300ml double cream, chilled

1tbs of caster sugar

1/2 punnet of raspberries

Raspberry coulis

55g of caster sugar

55g of icing sugar

2 egg whites

Step 1: Bash biscuits into a fine crumb with the end of a rolling-pin, then mix in the melted butter. Pour into a lined tin and press the mixture down with the back of a soup spoon. Place in the fridge to chill whilst you make the mix 😋

Step 2: Melt the white chocolate gently over a double boiler. Once melted remove from the heat and set a side to cool down.

Step 3: Using an electric whisk, whip the chilled double cream in a large mixing bowl, until it forms soft peaks. In the same bowl fold in the icing sugar.

Step 4: Drain away any excess water from the cream cheese. Then add the cream cheese and vanilla extract to the sweet whipped cream and mix together.

Step 5: Finally add the chilled melted chocolate and raspberries to the creamy cheese mix and stir together quickly.

Step 6: Remove the biscuit base from the fridge and pour in the fruity chocolate cheesecake mix. Set the cheesecake in the fridge for four hours or over night!

Step 7: Now it’s time to make the meringues! Pre-heat your oven to 100C for a fan oven or, 110C for a conventional over or, 1/4 for a gas oven. Separate the eggs whites from the yolk and discard the yolk (or cook them for your dog). Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl (not plastic). Using an electric whisk beat the eggs on a medium speed, until they are white and fluffy and form stiff peaks when the whisk is lifted.

Step 8: Turn the speed up on you your electric whisk and start to add the caster sugar, a dessertspoonful at a time. Leave a 3-4 second gap between each spoonful. When the mix is ready it should look thick and glossy.

Step 9: Sift a third of the icing sugar over the mixture, then gently fold it in with a spatula. Continue adding the sifted icing sugar a third at a time and fold into the mixture.

Step 10: Scoop heaped dessertspoons of the mix and make rough rounds on a lined baking tray. Bake for 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 hours in a fan oven, 1 1/4 hours in a conventional or gas oven. Once the time is up turn the oven off and leave the meringues in to cool with the oven.

Step 11: Once the cheesecake has set and the meringues have cooled it is time to decorate. In a large mixing bowl pour in the chilled double cream and tablespoon of caster sugar. Using an electric whisk, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Use half of the whipped cream to pipe around the edge of the top of the cheesecake. Next add the raspberries (leave a few to decorate the top), and broken up meringue (again leave one to crush and decorate the top with) to the rest of the whipped cream, mix all together. Place the Eton Mess in the middle of the cheesecake, top with more meringue, raspberries and a drizzle of raspberry coulis.

it looks amazing and I am going to tempt to make it for christmas next weekend. But I thinks you must of accidentally missed out on gelatin, If you used it can you please tell me how much and did you use gelatin sheets or powder.